


Forever

by CASPIANSLUMOS



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Mentioned James Potter, Mentioned Lily Evans - Freeform, Mentioned Remus Lupin, Mentioned Severus Snape, Mentioned Sirius Black, The Order, Walburga Black's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CASPIANSLUMOS/pseuds/CASPIANSLUMOS
Summary: They were scared, young and in love with no promise of a tomorrow let alone a happy ending.
Relationships: Regulus Black/Bartemius Crouch Jr.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	Forever

They were 11 when they first met on the train. They sat together and shared chocolate frogs and licorice wands, telling each other about themselves and their families, and what house they hoped to be in. 

They were 11 when they were both sorted into Slytherin. The hat only took a few seconds to decide that Barty was best suited in Slytherin and he had happily rushed to the Slytherin table, grinning from ear to ear as he shook the hands of the other Slytherin students. With Regulus, it took a few minutes and he kept glancing from Barty to Sirius nervously. However, after a lot of hesitation, the hat finally decided that Regulus would do best in Slytherin so that was where he went. He sat beside Barty and they smiled and spoke together the whole feast.

They were 12 when they began to go to the library together to ‘study’, though anyone who knew them knew that no studying ever got done. The two boys spent their time chatting and messing about, telling jokes and pointing and laughing at random Hufflepuffs. 

They were 12 when they laid in the grass under a particularly large tree on a warm May day. They spent the afternoon talking. Talking in quiet tones, looking up at the clouds and pointing out the shapes they could make out and laughing together at the ridiculous things they came out with.

They were 13 when they first went to Hogsmeade together, hands brushing against each other and cheeks going red at such a simple gesture. Walking together around the village, going into the shops, purchasing sweets for late nights and quills and parchment for notes to pass in boring classes, also known as Divination. 

They were 13 when they first kissed. It was messy, awkward and shy. It happened in the heat of the moment as they sat up in the Astronomy Tower on a Saturday night. The stars were exceptionally bright that night and they had been talking about relationships and girls and who they thought was attractive. Barty had gushed out, “I don’t think any girls at school are pretty.” He had blushed as he said so before quietly adding, “I think  _ you’re  _ pretty though.” And then, Regulus had pressed his soft lips against Barty’s chapped ones. It was a rushed and a terrible excuse for a first kiss but it was sweet and memorable even though they didn’t speak of it for the rest of the school year.

They were 14, on their way to Hogwarts for their fourth year when they confessed their feelings to each other. Regulus had kicked Severus from the compartment, telling him that Lily Evans wanted to speak to him. Severus had left in a hurry and Regulus had locked the compartment door and sat down beside Barty who looked at him. Regulus and Barty sat together, talking for the rest of the train journey. They spoke of their kiss in the Tower, they spoke of their feelings and what they wanted for the future. They had shared a shy kiss, cheeks going red as their hands intertwined together,

They were 14 when Regulus cried on Barty’s shoulder after Christmas. Sirius had left home and Regulus was scared. Barty held him all night, rubbing his back and kissing his forehead, whispering comforting and sweet words to him. He reminded him that everything would be okay, he told him that it wasn’t his fault. Barty laid with him the whole night and thus began Barty spending the nights in Regulus’ bed. They felt like a  _ real  _ couple, a couple who kissed and held hands and slept in the same bed, a couple who cuddled each other and cared for the other on bad days.

They were 15 when they walked into the Great Hall, hand in hand. They had done a lot of growing up in the summer and they didn’t want their relationship to be a secret. So they made sure everyone knew. They sat together in classes, Barty’s hand on Regulus’ knee or Regulus leaning against Barty and watching him write notes in his messy handwriting. They would give each other sweet pecks on the lip as they departed to go to the classes they didn’t share. It took hardly a month for the whole school to know that they were together. 

They were 15 when Regulus received a howler from Walburga. She was angry and disgusted. She called him all the names under the sun and told him what a disappointment he was to the Black family. She told him that he was no better than Sirius and he wasn’t welcome home. Barty had run after him when he fled from the Great Hall and found him in the bathroom closest to the Great Hall. He didn’t try to make him talk and instead just wrapped his arms around him and held him, rubbing his back and pressing kisses to his head. 

They were 16 when they got the dark mark together, hands intertwined as they left. They didn’t speak as they went back to Barty’s house. They laid together, legs twisted and tangled as Regulus listened to Barty’s heartbeat as they rested in the dark room without any interruptions. They didn’t leave the comfort of the warm room for days, simply enjoying each other's company whilst it lasted.

They were 16 when Barty had the spontaneous idea to run away. He told Regulus that they could go anywhere, they could leave and they could be happy together. Regulus was hesitant, he was scared but he agreed so that night they packed their things and left with their hands intertwined. They stayed in the Hogshead until school started again where they knew they would be safe from danger. 

They were 17 when they entered their last year of school. They spent their days free together, laying with each other, kissing every inch of each other, making the most of the time they had. What would happen in the future? Would they even be able to escape the Death Eaters, Voldemort and their families? These questions were to be left unanswered for months, they had to make the most of what they had left.

They were 17 when they ran away to France. They hid together, going from hotel to hotel and job to job. They struggled but they pulled through because they had each other and that was all that mattered. One afternoon, when Barty was at work, Regulus wrote to Sirius. He hadn’t spoken to his brother in years and he felt like now, in the midst of a war, was a good time to rebuild their relationship. He had told Sirius of everything, of Barty and himself running away and of the dark mark and of how he was in love with Barty like Sirius was in love with Remus. 

They were 18 when they went back to England to join the Order. They were accepted with open arms, (and a tight hug from Sirius.) They were scared, young and in love with no promise of a tomorrow let alone a happy ending. But they pulled through and they put their everything into helping the Order. They set out on missions, sometimes together and other times apart. The Order was hard but it was rewarding for every night they got to come home to each other.

They were 19 when Barty proposed one evening after dinner. “I don’t know if we’ll make it out of this war, but I do know that I love you and I want to be with you forever.” Barty had said. Regulus had cried and watched Barty slip the ring onto his finger with shaking hands. They went to sleep that night with smiles and thoughts of a wedding.

They were 21 when they got married. Sirius was Regulus’ best man and he was grinning from ear to ear for the entire ceremony. James and Lily sat at the front with Harry and Remus, smiling fondly at Regulus and Barty who looked beyond happy. Euphemia and Fleamont sat beside Alastor Moody and Minerva Mcgonogall. Alice and Frank Longbottom sat at the back, Neville with them. They were both smiling widely. Regulus and Barty shared their vows and concealed it with a kiss.

They were 21 when they had their first dance as a married couple. It was to a French song they had discovered and learnt to love when they spent their time in France. It had meaning behind it, it meant more than what it might have meant to others. The song reminded them of the time they were free and not being suffocated by their parents’ beliefs or the lives they had been brought up to follow. They were simply themselves.

They were 22 when they moved into a sweet cottage down by the sea where the smell of saltwater woke them every morning and where the sunlight beamed in to greet them. They spent countless nights dancing in the kitchen to soft tunes that played on the radio, they spent early mornings on the beach where they ate croissants and drank cups of tea whilst watching the waves. They were happy, truly happy and they had nothing to worry about. Harry, a baby, had somehow managed to defeat Voldemort and now everything was okay again.

They were 23 when they attended Remus and Sirius’ wedding. Regulus stood at Sirius’ side as his best man, beaming at James who stood next to Remus. The ceremony was short and sweet but meaningful and they spent the night drinking wine and dancing, feeling as though they were 14 again.

They were 26 when they laid together, hands and legs intertwined and laced together. It was silent and dark but they weren’t asleep. They were simply thinking and appreciating the life they were blessed with. Regulus looked at Barty in the dark and smiled, leaning up to kiss him softly. 

“I love you.” The three words were always hushed and quiet, shy-almost. 

“I love you too.” The words were spoken in the same tone. It made it more special and it was something they were to do for a lifetime.


End file.
